Psalm Meditation 1224 ¶First Sunday of Advent ¶December 3, 2023 ¶Psalm 90 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+90&version=NRSVUE (NRSV) ¶As a child, I thought anger was based in dislike, distaste, hate, all of those negative relationship markers. If someone was angry with me, it was best to avoid them so as not to give them any more reasons to dislike me more than they already did. I was not particularly aware of the concept of apology at the time I have conjured up in my memory. So, the best plan of action against anger was avoidance, and not a little fuming and pouting about the anger directed toward me. ¶As an adult, I have discovered that most, if not all, anger is based in fear. (It is a simplified way of dealing with emotions, that works for some of us.) When I am afraid a loved one is on the verge of doing something different, foolish or dangerous my first reaction is anger. When I am able to discern what it is that I am afraid of, I can let go of the anger and deal with the fear in a more helpful way. ¶The psalmist knows that God is a long time place of refuge from the hurts of daily living, and in this moment knows that things are not going according to plan. In that case, God has pushed us away in anger for some misdeed of ours, and we have to live with the knowledge that God, out of anger, will place limits on our lives, and we will be helpless to change that. Giving God the same emotional baggage that many of us carry is not a very helpful view of God’s stability among us. God does get angry, upset, irritated with us, but never to the point of pushing us away. God loves us beyond measure, simple as that. ¶November 27, 2023 ¶LCM